Monday, February 13, 2006

UN peacekeepers open fire in Haiti

U.N. peacekeepers opened fire Monday on protesters, killing at least one and wounding four, witnesses said, as flaming roadblocks paralyzed this city and protesters stormed into a hotel where election officials have been announcing results of presidential elections.

Associated Press journalists saw the body of a man in the street in the Tabarre neighborhood, a T-shirt bearing the image of popular candidate Rene Preval soaked in blood. Witnesses said Jordanian U.N. peacekeepers opened fire on them, killing two and wounding four. The body of the second victim was not at the scene.

"We were peacefully protesting when the U.N. started shooting. There were a lot of shots. Everybody ran," said Walrick Michel, 22, one of the pro-Preval protesters. U.N. spokesman David Wimhurst denied in a phone interview that peacekeepers opened fire.

While I have my doubts that this was the peaceful protest that Michel claims it to have been, it certainly wouldn't surprise me. UN peacekeepers never really seem to know when is and isn't the appropriate time to use their firepower.